Inference server and environment controller for inferring one or more commands for controlling an appliance taking into account room characteristics

ABSTRACT

Inference server and environment controller for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance. The environment controller determines at least one room characteristic. The environment controller receives at least one environmental characteristic value and at least one set point. The environment controller transmits the at least one environmental characteristic, set point and room characteristic to the inference server. The inference server executes a neural network inference engine using a predictive model (generated by a neural network training engine) for inferring the one or more commands for controlling the appliance. The inference is based on the received at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point and at least one room characteristic. The inference server transmits the one or more commands to the environment controller, which forwards the one or more commands to the controlled appliance.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a Continuation Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/839,092, filed Dec. 12, 2017, now allowed, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to the field of environment control systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an inference server and an environment controller for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance, the inference taking into account room characteristics.

BACKGROUND

Systems for controlling environmental conditions, for example in buildings, are becoming increasingly sophisticated. A control system may at once control heating and cooling, monitor air quality, detect hazardous conditions such as fire, carbon monoxide release, intrusion, and the like. Such control systems generally include at least one environment controller, which receives measured environmental characteristic values, generally from external sensors, and in turn determines set points or command parameters to be sent to controlled appliances.

For instance, a room has current environmental characteristic values, such as a current temperature and a current humidity level, detected by sensors and reported to an environment controller. A user interacts with the environment controller to provide set point(s), such as a target temperature and/or a target humidity level. The environment controller sends the set point(s) to a controlled appliance (e.g. a heating, ventilating, and/or air-conditioning (HVAC) appliance). The controlled appliance generates commands for actuating internal components (of the controlled appliance) to reach the set point(s). Alternatively, the environment controller directly determines command(s) based on the set point(s), and transmits the command(s) to the controlled appliance. The controlled appliance uses the command(s) received from the environment controller to actuate the internal components to reach the set point(s). Examples of internal components include a motor, an electrical circuit (e.g. for generating heat), a valve (e.g. for controlling an air flow), etc.

However, the generation of the command(s) for actuating internal components of the controlled appliance does not take into consideration the current environmental characteristic values and the set point(s) in combination, to generate the most adequate command(s). Furthermore, the generation of the command(s) does not take into consideration characteristic(s) of the room where the current environmental characteristic values are measured, to generate the most adequate command(s). For example, characteristics of the room include a geometry of the room (e.g. volume, surface, height, etc.). The adequacy of the command(s) depends on one or more criteria, which can be taken into consideration individually or in combination. Examples of such criteria include a comfort of the people present in the room, stress imposed on components of the controlled appliance (e.g. mechanical stress, heating stress, etc.), energy consumption, etc.

For instance, we take the example where the current environmental characteristic values include the current temperature of the room and the set points include the target temperature of the room. In the case of a significant difference between the current temperature and the target temperature (e.g. more than 5 degrees Celsius), the comfort of the people in the room shall be of prime importance. Thus, the generated command(s) shall provide for a quick convergence from the current temperature to the target temperature. However, this quick convergence may induce an increase of the stress imposed on components of the controlled appliance and a significant energy consumption. By contrast, in the case of a small difference between the current temperature and the target temperature (e.g. less than 5 degrees Celsius), the comfort of the people in the room is not affected in a significant manner by the speed at which the convergence from the current temperature to the target temperature is achieved. Therefore, the generated command(s) shall aim at preserving the controlled appliance (by minimizing the stress imposed on components of the controlled appliance) and minimizing energy consumption. However, in the second case, the geometry of the room (e.g. high ceiling) could make it difficult to heat or refresh the room, even for a small difference between the current temperature and the target temperature. Thus, with this type of geometry of the room, the emphasis shall be put on providing a quick convergence from the current temperature to the target temperature (like in the first case), and not on preserving the controlled appliance and minimizing energy consumption.

A set of rules taking into consideration the current environmental characteristic values, the set point(s) and the room characteristics may be implemented by the environment controller, for generating the most adequate command(s). However, the criteria for evaluating the adequacy of the command(s) based on the current environmental characteristic values, the set point(s) and the room characteristics are multiple, potentially complex, and generally inter-related. Thus, the aforementioned set of rules would either be too simple to generate an effective model for generating the most adequate command(s), or alternatively too complicated to be designed by a human being.

However, current advances in artificial intelligence, and more specifically in neural networks, can be taken advantage of. More specifically, a model, taking into consideration the current environmental characteristic values, the set point(s) and the room characteristic(s) to generate the most adequate command(s) for controlling the appliance, can be generated and used by a neural network.

Therefore, there is a need for a new inference server and environment controller for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance, the inference taking into account room characteristics.

SUMMARY

According to a first aspect, the present disclosure relates to an environment controller. The environment controller comprises a communication interface and a processing unit. The processing unit determines at least one room characteristic. The processing unit receives at least one environmental characteristic value via the communication interface. The processing unit receives at least one set point via at least one of the communication interface and a user interface of the environment controller. The processing unit transmits the at least one environmental characteristic, the at least one set point and the at least one room characteristic to an inference server executing a neural network inference engine via the communication interface. The processing unit receives one or more commands for controlling an appliance inferred by the neural network inference engine executed by the inference server via the communication interface. The processing unit transmits the one or more commands to the controlled appliance via the communication interface.

According to a second aspect, the present disclosure relates to a method for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance. The method comprises determining, by a processing unit of an environment controller, at least one room characteristic. The method comprises receiving, by the processing unit, at least one environmental characteristic value via a communication interface of the environment controller. The method comprises receiving, by the processing unit, at least one set point via at least one of the communication interface and a user interface of the environment controller. The method comprises transmitting, by the processing unit, the at least one environmental characteristic value, the at least one set point and the at least one room characteristic to an inference server executing a neural network inference engine via the communication interface. The method comprises receiving, by the processing unit, the one or more commands for controlling the appliance inferred by the neural network inference engine executed by the inference server via the communication interface. The method comprises transmitting, by the processing unit, the one or more commands to the controlled appliance via the communication interface.

According to a third aspect, the present disclosure relates to an inference server. The inference server comprises a communication interface, memory for storing a predictive model generated by a neural network training engine, and a processing unit. The processing unit determines at least one room characteristic. The processing unit receives from an environment controller via the communication interface at least one environmental characteristic value and at least one set point. The processing unit executes a neural network inference engine. The neural network inference engine uses the predictive model for inferring one or more commands for controlling an appliance based on the at least one environmental characteristic value, the at least one set point and the at least one room characteristic. The processing unit transmits to the environment controller via the communication interface the one or more commands inferred by the neural network inference engine. The one or more commands are used by the environment controller for controlling the appliance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a first implementation of an environment controller capable of inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance, the inference taking into account room characteristics;

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an exemplary environment control system where the environment controller of FIG. 1 is deployed;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method implemented by the environment controller of FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling the appliance of FIGS. 1 and 2 , the inference taking into account room characteristics;

FIG. 4 illustrates a second implementation of an environment controller capable of inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance, the inference taking into account room characteristics;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a second method implemented by the environment controller of FIG. 4 for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling the appliance of FIG. 4 , the inference taking into account room characteristics;

FIG. 6 represents an environment control system where environment controllers implementing the method illustrated in FIG. 3 are deployed;

FIG. 7 represents an environment control system where environment controllers implementing the method illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B are deployed; and

FIG. 8 is a schematic representation of a neural network inference engine executed by the environment controller of FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, and an inference server of FIG. 4 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The foregoing and other features will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Various aspects of the present disclosure generally address one or more of the problems related to an optimization of command(s) sent by an environment controller to a controlled appliance based on current environmental conditions, target environmental conditions (also referred to as set points in the present disclosure) and room characteristics.

Terminology

The following terminology is used throughout the present disclosure:

Environment: condition(s) (temperature, humidity, pressure, oxygen level, carbon dioxide level, light level, security, etc.) prevailing in a controlled area or place, such as for example in a building.

Environment control system: a set of components which collaborate for monitoring and controlling an environment.

Environmental data: any data (e.g. information, commands) related to an environment that may be exchanged between components of an environment control system.

Environment control device (ECD): generic name for a component of an environment control system. An ECD may consist of an environment controller, a sensor, a controlled appliance, etc.

Environment controller: device capable of receiving information related to an environment and sending commands based on such information.

Environmental characteristic: measurable, quantifiable or verifiable property of an environment.

Environmental characteristic value: numerical, qualitative or verifiable representation of an environmental characteristic.

Sensor: device that detects an environmental characteristic and provides a numerical, quantitative or verifiable representation thereof. The numerical, quantitative or verifiable representation may be sent to an environment controller.

Controlled appliance: device that receives a command and executes the command. The command may be received from an environment controller.

Environmental state: a current condition of an environment based on an environmental characteristic, each environmental state may comprise a range of values or verifiable representation for the corresponding environmental characteristic.

VAV appliance: A Variable Air Volume appliance is a type of heating, ventilating, and/or air-conditioning (HVAC) system. By contrast to a Constant Air Volume (CAV) appliance, which supplies a constant airflow at a variable temperature, a VAV appliance varies the airflow at a constant temperature.

Referring now concurrently to FIGS. 1, 2A, 2B and 3 , an environment controller 100 (represented in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B) and a method 500 (represented in FIG. 3 ) for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling an appliance, the inference taking into account room characteristics, are illustrated.

The environment controller 100 comprises a processing unit 110, memory 120, a communication interface 130, optionally a user interface 140, and optionally a display 150. The environment controller 100 may comprise additional components not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes.

The processing unit 110 comprises one or more processors (not represented in FIG. 1 ) capable of executing instructions of a computer program. Each processor may further comprise one or several cores.

The memory 120 stores instructions of computer program(s) executed by the processing unit 110, data generated by the execution of the computer program(s), data received via the communication interface 130, data received via the optional user interface 140, etc. Only a single memory 120 is represented in FIG. 1 , but the environment controller 100 may comprise several types of memories, including volatile memory (such as a volatile Random Access Memory (RAM)) and non-volatile memory (such as a hard drive).

The communication interface 130 allows the environment controller 100 to exchange data with several devices (e.g. a training server 200, one or more sensors 300, one or more controlled appliances 400, etc.) over one or more communication network (not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes). The term communication interface 130 shall be interpreted broadly, as supporting a single communication standard/technology, or a plurality of communication standards/technologies. Examples of communication interfaces 130 include a wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi, cellular, wireless mesh, etc.) communication module, a wired (e.g. Ethernet) communication module, a combination of wireless and wired communication modules, etc. In an exemplary configuration, the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100 has a first wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi) communication module for exchanging data with the sensor(s) and the controlled appliance(s), and a second wired (e.g. Ethernet) communication module for exchanging data with the training server 200. The communication interface 130 usually comprises a combination of hardware and software executed by the hardware, for implementing the communication functionalities of the communication interface 130.

At least some of the steps of the method 500 are implemented by the environment controller 100, to infer via a neural network one or more commands for controlling the controlled appliance 400, the inference taking into account at least one room characteristic.

A dedicated computer program has instructions for implementing at least some of the steps of the method 500. The instructions are comprised in a non-transitory computer program product (e.g. the memory 120) of the environment controller 100. The instructions, when executed by the processing unit 110 of the environment controller 100, provide for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling the controlled appliance 400, the inference taking into account at least one room characteristic. The instructions are deliverable to the environment controller 100 via an electronically-readable media such as a storage media (e.g. CD-ROM, USB key, etc.), or via communication links (e.g. via a communication network through the communication interface 130).

The dedicated computer program product executed by the processing unit 110 comprises a neural network inference engine 112 and a control module 114.

Also represented in FIG. 1 is the training server 200. Although not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes, the training server 200 comprises a processing unit, memory and a communication interface. The processing unit of the training server 200 executes a neural network training engine 211.

The execution of the neural network training engine 211 generates a predictive model, which is transmitted to the environment controller 100 via the communication interface of the training server 200. For example, the predictive model is transmitted over a communication network and received via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100.

Also represented in FIG. 1 are the sensors 300. Although not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes, the sensors 300 comprise at least one sensing module for detecting an environmental characteristic, and a communication interface for transmitting to the environment controller 100 an environmental characteristic value corresponding to the detected environmental characteristic. The environmental characteristic value is transmitted over a communication network and received via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100. The sensors 300 may also comprise a processing unit for generating the environmental characteristic value based on the detected environmental characteristic.

FIG. 2A illustrates examples of sensors 300 and corresponding examples of transmitted environmental characteristic value(s). The examples include a temperature sensor 310, capable of measuring a current temperature and transmitting the measured current temperature to the environment controller 100. The examples also include a humidity sensor 320, capable of measuring a current humidity level and transmitting the measured current humidity level to the environment controller 100. The examples further include a carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor 330, capable of measuring a current CO2 level and transmitting the measured current CO2 level to the environment controller 100. The examples also include a room occupancy sensor 340, capable of determining a current occupancy of a room and transmitting the determined current room occupancy to the environment controller 100. The room comprises the sensors 300 and the controlled appliance 400. The environment controller 100 may or may not be present in the room (the environment controller 100 may remotely control the environment of the room, which includes controlling the controlled appliance 400 based on the inputs of the sensors 300).

The aforementioned examples of sensors 300 are for illustration purposes only, and a person skilled in the art would readily understand that other types of sensors 300 could be used in the context of an environment control system managed by the environment controller 100. Furthermore, each environmental characteristic value may consist of either a single value (e.g. current temperature of 25 degrees Celsius), or a range of values (e.g. current temperature from 25 to 26 degrees Celsius).

The temperature, humidity and CO2 sensors are well known in the art, and easy to implement types of sensors. With respect to the occupancy sensor, its implementation may be more or less complex, based on its capabilities. For example, a basic occupancy sensor (e.g. based on ultrasonic or infrared technology) is only capable of determining if a room is occupied or not. A more sophisticated occupancy sensor is capable of determining the number of persons present in a room, and may use a combination of camera(s) and pattern recognition software for this purpose. Consequently, in the context of the present disclosure, a sensor 300 shall be interpreted as potentially including several devices cooperating for determining an environmental characteristic value (e.g. one or more cameras collaborating with a pattern recognition software executed by a processing unit for determining the current number of persons present in the room).

Also represented in FIG. 1 is the controlled appliance 400. Although not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes, the controlled appliance 400 comprises at least one actuation module, and a communication interface for receiving one or more commands from the environment controller 100. The actuation module can be of one of the following type: mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, electronical, a combination thereof, etc. The one or more commands control operations of the at least one actuation module. The one or more commands are transmitted over a communication network via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100. The controlled appliance 400 may also comprise a processing unit for controlling the operations of the at least one actuation module based on the received one or more commands.

FIG. 2A illustrates an example of a controlled appliance 400, consisting of a VAV appliance 410. Examples of commands transmitted to the VAV appliance 410 include commands directed to one of the following: an actuation module controlling the speed of a fan, an actuation module controlling the pressure generated by a compressor, an actuation module controlling a valve defining the rate of an airflow, etc. This example is for illustration purposes only, and a person skilled in the art would readily understand that other types of controlled appliances 400 could be used in the context of an environment control system managed by the environment controller 100.

Also represented in FIG. 1 is a user 10. The user 10 provides at least one set point to the environment controller 100. Examples of set points include target environmental characteristic values, such as a target temperature, a target humidity level, a target CO2 level, a combination thereof, etc. The at least one set point is related to the room where the sensors 300 and the controlled appliance 400 are located. Alternatively, the controlled appliance 400 is not located in the room, but the operations of the controlled appliance 400 under the supervision of the environment controller 100 aim at reaching the at least one set point in the room. The user 10 enters the at least one set point via the user interface 140 of the environment controller 100. Alternatively, the user 10 enters the at least one set point via a user interface of a computing device (e.g. a smartphone, a tablet, etc.) not represented in FIG. 1 for simplification purposes; and the at least one set point is transmitted over a communication network and received via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100.

FIG. 2A illustrates examples of set points, comprising a target temperature, a target humidity level and a target CO2 level. These examples are for illustration purposes only, and a person skilled in the art would readily understand that other types of set points could be used in the context of an environment control system managed by the environment controller 100. Furthermore, each set point may consist of either a single value (e.g. target temperature of 25 degrees Celsius), or a range of values (e.g. target temperature from 25 to 26 degrees Celsius).

The processing unit 110 of the environment controller 100 also determines at least one room characteristic. For example, the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110 is in charge of determining the room characteristic(s).

As mentioned previously, the room comprises the sensors 300 and the controlled appliance 400. Alternatively, the controlled appliance 400 is not located in the room, but the operations of the controlled appliance 400 affect the environmental conditions of the room where the sensors 300 are located. Furthermore, only some of the sensors 300 may be located in the room, while other sensors 300 may be located outside of the room (e.g. an outdoor temperature and/or humidity sensor).

The room characteristic(s) include one or more geometric characteristics of the room. Examples of geometric characteristics include a volume of the room, a surface of the room, a height of the room, a length of the room, a width of the room, etc. Instead of a given value, the geometric characteristics may be identified as ranges of values. For example, the volume of the room is defined by the following ranges of values: 0 to 50 cubic meters, 50 to 200 cubic meters, and more than 200 cubic meters. Similarly, the height of the room is defined by the following ranges of values: less than 3 meters and more than 3 meters.

Alternatively or complementarity, the current room characteristic(s) include a room type identifier of the current room. A plurality of room type identifiers is defined, each room type identifier corresponding to rooms having one or more geometric characteristics in common. For example, each room type identifier is an alphanumerical value. The room type identifier of the current room is selected among the plurality of pre-defined room type identifiers based on geometric characteristics of the current room. For instance, the room type identifier R1 is allocated to rooms having a volume lower than 50 cubic meters; the room type identifier R2 is allocated to rooms having a volume between 50 and 200 cubic meters, and a height lower than 3 meters; the room type identifier R3 is allocated to rooms having a volume between 50 and 200 cubic meters, and a height higher than 3 meters; and the room type identifier R4 is allocated to rooms having a volume higher than 200 cubic meters.

Alternatively or complementarity, the current room characteristic(s) include a human activity in the room. For example, the human activity in the room comprises periods of time when the room is occupied by humans; for instance, during the day or during the night, in the morning or in the afternoon, during the week or the week end, etc. Alternatively or complementarity, the human activity in the room defines the type of activity performed by the persons occupying the room; for instance, the room is an office room, a room in a store, a storage room, a workshop room, a room in a house or an apartment, etc.

The aforementioned room type identifier of the room can also be based on the human activity in the room. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art would readily understand that other types of room characteristics could be used in the context of an environment control system managed by the environment controller 100.

FIG. 2B illustrates examples of the determination of the room characteristic(s) by the processing unit 110 of the environment controller 100.

The determination of the room characteristic(s) comprises receiving the room characteristic(s) from a computing device 250 via the communication interface 130, and storing the room characteristic(s) in the memory 120 of the environment controller 100.

Alternatively or complementarily, the determination of the room characteristic(s) comprises receiving the room characteristic(s) from the user 10 via the user interface 140 of the environment controller 100, and storing the room characteristic(s) in the memory 120.

Alternatively or complementarily, the determination of the room characteristic(s) comprises receiving the room characteristic(s) from a sensor 350 via the communication interface 130, and storing the room characteristic(s) in the memory 120 of the environment controller 100. The sensor 350 is capable of automatically determining room characteristic(s). For example, the sensor 350 combines one or more cameras, and a processing unit, capable of automatically determining geometric characteristics of the room. In another example, the sensor 350 combines one or more cameras (or sound sensor, motion detector, etc.), and a processing unit, capable of automatically determining a human activity in the room. Alternatively, the sensor 350 only transmits collected data (e.g. images of the room) to the processing unit 110 of the environment controller 100, and the processing unit 110 determines the room characteristic(s) based on the data transmitted by the sensor 350.

The room characteristic(s) usually do not change over time. Thus, the determination occurs only once, and the room characteristics are permanently stored in the memory 120 for being used by the neural network inference engine 112, as will be illustrated later in the description.

The method 500 comprises the step 505 of executing the neural network training engine 211 (by the processing unit of the training server 200) to generate the predictive model.

The method 500 comprises the step 510 of transmitting the predictive model to the environment controller 100, via the communication interface of the training server 200.

The method 500 comprises the step 515 of storing the predictive model in the memory 120 of the environment controller 100. The predictive model is received via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100, and stored in the memory 120 by the processing unit 110.

The method 500 comprises the step 520 of determining at least one room characteristic. Step 520 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110.

The method 500 comprises the step 525 of receiving the at least one environmental characteristic value from the at least one sensor 300. The at least one environmental characteristic value is received by the processing unit 110 via the communication interface 130. Step 525 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110.

The method 500 comprises the step 530 of receiving the at least one set point from the user 10. The at least one set point is received by the processing unit 110 via the user interface 140 and/or the communication interface 130. Step 530 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110.

The method 500 comprises the step 535 of executing the neural network inference engine 112 (by the processing unit 110). The neural network inference engine 112 uses the predictive model (stored in memory 120 at step 515) for inferring one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400, based on the at least one environmental characteristic value (received at step 525), the at least one set point (received at step 530) and the at least one room characteristic (determined at step 520).

The method 500 comprises the step 540 of transmitting the one or more commands to the controlled appliance 400 via the communication interface 130.

The method 500 comprises the step 545 of applying by the controlled appliance 400 the one or more commands received from the environment controller 100.

Steps 535, 540 and 545 are repeated if new parameters are received at steps 525 (one or more new environmental characteristic value), and/or received at step 530 (one or more new set point), and/or determined at step 520 (one or more new room characteristic). Furthermore, configurable thresholds can be used for the parameters received at steps 525 and 530, so that a change in the value of a parameter is not taken into consideration as long as it remains within the boundaries of the corresponding threshold(s). For example, if the parameter is a new current temperature received at step 525, the threshold can be an increment/decrease of 1 degree Celsius in the current temperature. If the parameter is a new target temperature received at step 530, the threshold can be an increment/decrease of 0.5 degree Celsius in the target temperature. Additionally, the control module 114 may discard any new environment characteristic value received at step 525 unless a new set point is received at step 530. Configurable thresholds may also be used for the parameters determined at step 520, although the room characteristic(s) generally remain the same (e.g. the geometry of the room does not change).

Reference is now made concurrently to FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, where FIG. 4 represents an alternative configuration of the environment controller 100 of FIG. 1 , and FIGS. 5A-B represent another method 700 for inferring via a neural network one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400, the inference taking into account room characteristics.

The environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 4 is similar to the environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 1 , except for the processing unit 110 not executing the neural network inference engine and the memory 120 not storing the predictive model generated by the training server 200. The training server 200 represented in FIG. 4 is similar to the training server 200 represented in FIG. 1 .

At least some of the steps of the method 700 are implemented by the environment controller 100, to infer via a neural network the one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400, the inference taking into account room characteristics.

A dedicated computer program has instructions for implementing at least some of the steps of the method 700. The instructions are comprised in a non-transitory computer program product (e.g. the memory 120) of the environment controller 100. The instructions, when executed by the processing unit 110 of the environment controller 100, provide for inferring via a neural network the one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400, the inference taking into account room characteristics. The instructions are deliverable to the environment controller 100 via an electronically-readable media such as a storage media (e.g. CD-ROM, USB key, etc.), or via communication links (e.g. via a communication network through the communication interface 130).

The dedicated computer program product executed by the processing unit 110 comprises the control module 114 (but not the neural network inference engine 112 represented in FIG. 1 ).

Also represented in FIG. 4 is an inference server 600. The inference server 600 comprises a processing unit 610, memory 620 and a communication interface 630. The processing unit 610 of the inference server 600 executes a neural network inference engine 612 similar to the neural network inference engine 112 represented in FIG. 1 .

The execution of the neural network training engine 211 on the training server 200 generates the predictive model, which is transmitted to the inference server 600 via the communication interface of the training server 200. The predictive model is received via the communication interface 630 of the interference server 600 and stored in the memory 620.

A single server may be used for implementing the neural network training engine 211 and the neural network inference engine 612. A processing unit of the single server executes a neural network performing the neural network training engine 211 during a training phase, and the neural network inference engine 612 during an operational phase.

The inference server 600 and the environment controller 100 exchange operational data (environment characteristic value(s), set point(s) and room characteristic(s) transmitted from the environment controller 100 to the inference server 600; and one or more commands transmitted from the inference server 600 to the environment controller 100), as will be detailed in the description of the method 700. The operational data are exchanged over a communication network, and transmitted/received via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100 and the communication interface 630 of the inference server 600.

The method 700 comprises the step 705 of executing the neural network training engine 211 (by the processing unit of the training server 200) to generate the predictive model.

The method 700 comprises the step 710 of transmitting the predictive model to the inference server 600, via the communication interface of the training server 200.

The method 700 comprises the step 715 of storing the predictive model in the memory 620 of the inference server 600. The predictive model is received via the communication interface 630 of the inference server 600, and stored in the memory 620 by the processing unit 610.

The method 700 comprises the step 720 of determining at least one room characteristic. Step 720 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110. The determination is performed in a manner similar to the one described in relation to FIG. 2B.

The method 700 comprises the step 725 of receiving the at least one environmental characteristic value from the at least one sensor 300. The at least one environmental characteristic value is received by the processing unit 110 via the communication interface 130. Step 725 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110.

The method 700 comprises the step 730 of receiving the at least one set point from the user 10. The at least one set point is received by the processing unit 110 via the user interface 140 and/or the communication interface 130. Step 730 is performed by the control module 114 executed by the processing unit 110.

The method 700 comprises the step 735 of transmitting the at least one environmental characteristic value (received at step 725), the at least one set point (received at step 730) and the at least one room characteristic (determined at step 720) to the inference server 600. As mentioned previously, the environmental characteristic value(s), the set point(s) and the room characteristic(s) are transmitted to the inference server 600 via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100.

The method 700 comprises the step 740 of executing the neural network inference engine 612 by the processing unit 610 of the inference server 600. The neural network inference engine 612 uses the predictive model (stored in memory 620 at step 715) for inferring one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400, based on the at least one environmental characteristic value, the at least one set point and the at least one room characteristic (transmitted at step 735). As mentioned previously, the environmental characteristic value(s), the set point(s) and the room characteristic(s) are received via the communication interface 630 of the inference server 600.

The method 700 comprises the step 745 of transmitting the one or more commands to the environment controller 100. As mentioned previously, the one or more commands are transmitted via the communication interface 630 of the inference server 600.

The method 700 comprises the step 750 of forwarding the one or more commands received from the inference server 600 to the controlled appliance 400. As mentioned previously, the one or more commands are received from the inference server 600 via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100; and transmitted to the controlled appliance 400 via the communication interface 130 of the environment controller 100.

The method 700 comprises the step 755 of applying by the controlled appliance 400 the one or more commands received from the environment controller 100.

Steps 735, 740, 745, 750 and 755 are repeated if new parameters are received at steps 725 (one or more new environmental characteristic value), and/or received at step 730 (one or more new set point), and/or determined at step 720 (one or more new room characteristic). Furthermore (as mentioned for the method 500 represented in FIG. 3 ), configurable thresholds can be used for the parameters received at steps 725 and 730, so that a change in the value of a parameter is not taken into consideration as long as it remains within the boundaries of the corresponding threshold(s). Additionally, the control module 114 may discard any new environment characteristic value received at step 725 unless a new set point is received at step 730. Configurable thresholds may also be used for the parameters determined at step 720, although the room characteristic(s) generally remain the same (e.g. the geometry of the room does not change).

A proprietary communication protocol may be used for exchanging data between the inference server 600 and the environment controller 100 at steps 735 and 745. Although not represented in FIG. 5B for simplification purposes, the inference server 600 exchanges data with a plurality of environment controllers 100 under its control (at steps 735 and 745), as will be illustrated later in the description in relation to FIG. 7 . Alternatively, the inference server 600 executes a web server and each of the plurality of environment controllers 100 executes a web client, and the exchange of data at steps 735 and 745 use the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) protocol, as is well known in the art.

In an alternative implementation not represented in the Figures for simplification purposes, the method 700 does not include step 720, and step 735 does not include the transmission of the room characteristic(s). Instead, the room characteristic(s) are determined by the processing unit 610 of the inference server 600. As mentioned previously, the determination of the room characteristic(s) by the processing unit 612 includes at least one of the following: receiving the room characteristic(s) from a user via a user interface (not represented in FIG. 4 for simplification purposes) of the inference server 600, receiving the room characteristics from a computing device (not represented in FIG. 4 for simplification purposes) different from the environment controller 100 via the communication interface 630.

A unique room identifier can be used for identifying the room characteristics corresponding to a given room. The room identifier and the corresponding room characteristic(s) are stored in the memory 620 of the inference server 600. At each occurrence of step 735 of the method 700, the room identifier of the room for which the environmental characteristic(s) and set point(s) have been received (respectively at steps 725 and 730) is also transmitted. Thus, the inference server 600 is capable of retrieving the room characteristic(s) corresponding to the transmitted room identifier from its memory 620, to perform step 740. It should be noted that the unique room identifier is different from the aforementioned room type identifier. Several rooms having respectively a unique room identifier may have room characteristics comprising the same room type identifier.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 , and more particularly to the neural network inference engine 112 and the neural network training engine 211. However, the following also applies to the neural network inference engine 612 of FIG. 4 .

Various criteria may be taken into consideration for optimizing the one or more commands generated by the environment controller 100 for controlling the appliance 400, based on at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point and at least one room characteristic. As previously mentioned, such criteria include a comfort of the people present in the room where the controlled appliance 400 is located, stress imposed on components of the controlled appliance 400 (e.g. mechanical stress, heating stress, etc.), energy consumption of the controlled appliance 400, etc. These criteria are for illustration purposes only, and are not limitative.

The present disclosure aims at providing a mechanism for inferring an optimal set of command(s) for controlling the appliance 400 based on the aforementioned criteria, whatever the at least one environmental characteristic value, the at least one set point and the at least one room characteristic may be. The mechanism disclosed in the present disclosure takes advantage of the neural network technology, to “guess” the optimal set of command(s) in operating conditions, based on a model generated during a training phase. Furthermore, the present disclosure specifically aims at optimizing the set of command(s) to the room characteristics for substantially similar environmental characteristic value(s) and set point(s).

A first type of data used as inputs of the neural network training engine 211 (during a training phase) and the neural network inference engine 112 (during an operational phase) consists of one or more environmental characteristic value(s). Examples of environmental characteristic values have already been described, but the present disclosure is not limited by those examples. A person skilled in the art of environmental control systems would readily adapt the type of environmental characteristic value(s) to a specific type of controlled appliance 400.

A second type of data used as inputs of the neural network training engine 211 (during a training phase) and the neural network inference engine 112 (during an operational phase) consists of one or more set point(s). Examples of set points have already been described, but the present disclosure is not limited by those examples. A person skilled in the art of environmental control systems would readily adapt the type of set point(s) to a specific type of controlled appliance 400.

A third type of data used as inputs of the neural network training engine 211 (during a training phase) and the neural network inference engine 112 (during an operational phase) consists of one or more room characteristic(s). Examples of room characteristics have already been described, but the present disclosure is not limited by those examples. A person skilled in the art of environmental control systems would readily adapt the type of room characteristic(s) to a specific type of controlled appliance 400.

The output(s) of the neural network training engine 211 (during a training phase) and the neural network inference engine 112 (during an operational phase) consists of one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400. Examples of commands have already been described, but the present disclosure is not limited by those examples. A person skilled in the art of environmental control systems would readily adapt the type of commands to a specific type of controlled appliance 400.

Combinations of at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point, at least one room characteristic and one or more command(s) for the controlled appliance 400, are taken into consideration by the neural network inference engine 112 and the neural network training engine 211. The optimal combinations can be determined during the training phase with the neural network training engine 211. The optimal combinations may depend on the type of controlled appliance 400, on criteria for evaluating the adequacy of the one or more command(s), etc.

Examples of criteria for evaluating the adequacy of the one or more command(s) have already been described, but the present disclosure is not limited by those examples. A person skilled in the art of environmental control systems would readily adapt the criteria to a specific type of controlled appliance 400.

The training phase is used to identify the optimal combinations of input and output parameters, and only those parameters will be used by the neural network training engine 211 to generate the predictive model used by the neural network inference engine 112. Alternatively, all the available parameters can be used by the neural network training engine 211 to generate the predictive model. In this case, the neural network training engine 211 will simply learn to ignore some of the input parameters which do not have a significant influence on the one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400.

During the training phase, the neural network training engine 211 is trained with a plurality of inputs (each input comprises at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point and at least one room characteristic) and a corresponding plurality of outputs (each corresponding output comprises one or more commands for the controlled appliance 400). As is well known in the art of neural network, during the training phase, the neural network implemented by the neural network training engine 211 adjusts its weights. Furthermore, during the training phase, the number of layers of the neural network and the number of nodes per layer can be adjusted to improve the accuracy of the model. At the end of the training phase, the predictive model generated by the neural network training engine 211 includes the number of layers, the number of nodes per layer, and the weights.

The inputs and outputs for the training phase of the neural network can be collected through an experimental process. For example, a plurality of combinations of current temperature (environmental characteristic value), target temperature (set point) and height of the room (room characteristic) are tested. For each combination, a plurality of sets of command(s) are tested, and the most adequate set of command(s) is determined based on criteria for evaluating the adequacy. For example, the criteria are comfort for the user and energy consumption.

In a first case, the current temperature is 30 degrees Celsius and the target temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. Two types of rooms are considered: rooms with a ceiling lower than 3 meters and rooms with a ceiling higher than 3 meters. For simplification, purposes, the set of commands only consists in setting the operating speed of a fan of the controlled appliance 400. The following speeds are available: 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 revolutions per second. For obtaining a quick transition from 30 to 22 degrees Celsius (to maximize the comfort of the persons present in the room) while preserving energy, it is determined experimentally (or theoretically) that the optimal speed is 20 revolutions per second for rooms having a ceiling lower than 3 meters and 25 revolutions per second for rooms having a ceiling higher than 3 meters.

In a second case, the current temperature is 24 degrees Celsius and the target temperature is 22 degrees Celsius. For obtaining a transition from 24 to 22 degrees Celsius (the comfort of the persons present in the room is not substantially affected in this case) while preserving energy, it is determined experimentally (or theoretically) that the optimal speed is 5 revolutions per second (to maximize the energy savings). The optimal speed of 5 revolutions per second applies for rooms having a ceiling lower than 3 meters as well as rooms having a ceiling higher than 3 meters.

Thus, the neural network training engine 211 is fed with the following combinations of data: [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height lower than 3 meters, fan speed 20], [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height higher than 3 meters, fan speed 25], [current temperature 24, target temperature 22, room height lower than 3 meters, fan speed 5] and [current temperature 24, target temperature 22, room height higher than 3 meters, fan speed 5].

As mentioned previously in the description, the environmental characteristic values (e.g. current temperature), set points (e.g. target temperature) and room characteristics (e.g. height of the room) can be expressed either as a single value or as a range of values.

Although a single command has been taken into consideration for simplification purposes, several commands may be considered in combination. For example, the speed of the fan may be evaluated in combination with the pressure generated by a compressor of the controlled appliance 400 for evaluating the most adequate set of commands for transitioning from 30 to 22 degrees Celsius and from 24 to 22 degrees Celsius, in the case of rooms having a ceiling lower than 3 meters and in the case of rooms having a ceiling higher than 3 meters.

Furthermore, more than one set point and/or more than one current environmental value and/or more than one room characteristic may be used. For example, in addition to the target temperature, a target humidity level is fixed, and various sets of command(s) are evaluated based on the criteria (user comfort, energy consumption, etc.) for performing the transition from the current temperature/humidity level to the target temperature/humidity level, in the case of rooms having a ceiling lower than 3 meters and in the case of rooms having a ceiling higher than 3 meters. Then, still other current environmental value(s) may be taken into consideration (e.g. room occupancy and/or CO2 level) for performing the transition from the current temperature/humidity level to the target temperature/humidity level. For example, with respect to the room occupancy parameter, if the room is not occupied, the optimized set of command(s) does not take into consideration the user comfort, but at least one of the energy savings and the stress imposed on components of the controlled appliance 400. Thus, all other parameters being equal, the speed of the fan is lower when the room is unoccupied than when the room is occupied, since it is less important to converge rapidly from the current temperature to the target temperature when the room is unoccupied.

In another example, having a given set of environmental characteristic value(s) and a given set of set point(s), several room characteristics are considered in combination, such as the room height and the room volume. For instance, the neural network training engine 211 is fed with the following combinations of data: [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height lower than 3 meters, room volume lower than 200 cubic meters, fan speed 15], [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height lower than 3 meters, room volume higher than 200 cubic meters, fan speed 20], [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height higher than 3 meters, room volume lower than 200 cubic meters, fan speed 20], [current temperature 30, target temperature 22, room height higher than 3 meters, room volume higher than 200 cubic meters, fan speed 25], etc.

Various techniques well known in the art of neural networks are used for performing (and improving) the generation of the predictive model, such as forward and backward propagation, usage of bias in addition to the weights (bias and weights are generally collectively referred to as weights in the neural network terminology), reinforcement training, etc.

During the operational phase, the neural network inference engine 112 uses the predictive model (e.g. the values of the weights) determined during the training phase to infer an output (one or more commands for controlling the appliance 400) based on inputs (at least one environmental characteristic value received from the sensor(s) 300, at least one set point received from the user 10 and at least one room characteristic determined by the processing unit 110) as is well known in the art.

Reference is now made concurrently to FIGS. 1, 3 and 6 , where FIG. 6 illustrates the usage of the method 500 in a large environment control system.

A first plurality of environment controllers 100 implementing the method 500 are deployed at a first location. Only two environment controllers 100 are represented for illustration purposes, but any number of environment controllers 100 may be deployed.

A second plurality of environment controllers 100 implementing the method 500 are deployed at a second location. Only one environment controller 100 is represented for illustration purposes, but any number of environment controllers 100 may be deployed.

The first and second locations may consist of different buildings, different floors of the same building, etc. Only two locations are represented for illustration purposes, but any number of locations may be considered.

Each environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 6 interacts with at least one sensor 300, at least one user 10, and at least one controlled appliance 400, as illustrated in FIG. 1 . Furthermore, each environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 6 determines room characteristic(s) as illustrated in FIG. 2B.

The environment controllers 100 correspond to the environment controllers represented in FIG. 1 , and execute both the control module 114 and the neural network inference engine 112. Each environment controller 100 receives a predictive model from the centralized training server 200 (e.g. a cloud based training server 200 in communication with the environment controllers 100 via a networking infrastructure, as is well known in the art). The same predictive model is used for all the environment controllers. Alternatively, a plurality of predictive models is generated, and takes into account specific operating conditions of the environment controllers 100. For example, a first predictive model is generated for the environment controllers 100 controlling a first type of appliance 400, and a second predictive model is generated for the environment controllers 100 controlling a second type of appliance 400.

FIG. 6 illustrates a decentralized architecture, where the environment controllers 100 take autonomous decisions for controlling the appliances 400, using the predictive model as illustrated in the method 500.

Reference is now made concurrently to FIGS. 4, 5A, 5B and 7 , where FIG. 7 illustrates the usage of the method 700 in a large environment control system.

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6 with respect to the locations (e.g. first and second locations) where the environment controllers 100 are deployed. However, the environment controllers 100 correspond to the environment controllers represented in FIG. 4 , implement the method 700, and only execute the control module 114.

The predictive model is generated by the training server 200 and transmitted to the inference server 600, which uses the predictive model to execute the neural network inference engine 612. As mentioned previously, the training server 200 and the inference server 600 can be collocated on the same computing device.

Each environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 7 interacts with at least one sensor 300, at least one user 10, and at least one controlled appliance 400, as illustrated in FIG. 4 . Furthermore, each environment controller 100 represented in FIG. 7 determines room characteristic(s) as illustrated in FIG. 2B.

Each environment controller 100 transmits at least one environmental characteristic value, at least one set point and at least one room characteristic to the inference server 600; and receives in response one or more command from the centralized inference server 600 for controlling the corresponding appliance 400. For instance, a cloud based inference server 600 is in communication with the environment controllers 100 via a networking infrastructure, as is well known in the art. As mentioned previously in relation to FIG. 6 , the same predictive model is used for all the environment controllers; or alternatively, a plurality of predictive models is generated, and takes into account specific operating conditions of the environment controllers 100.

As mentioned previously, in an alternative implementation, the room characteristic(s) are not determined at the environment controllers 100 and transmitted to the inference server 600, but determined directly at the inference server 600.

FIG. 7 illustrates a centralized architecture, where the environment controllers 100 do not take autonomous decisions for determining the command(s) used for controlling the appliances 400, but receive the command(s) from the centralized inference server 600 (which uses the predictive model as illustrated in the method 700).

Reference is now made to FIG. 8 , which illustrates the aforementioned neural network inference engine with its inputs and its output. FIG. 8 corresponds to the neural network inference engine 112 executed at step 535 of the method 500, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 . FIG. 8 also corresponds to the neural network inference engine 612 executed at step 740 of the method 700, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5B.

Although the present disclosure has been described hereinabove by way of non-restrictive, illustrative embodiments thereof, these embodiments may be modified at will within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and nature of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An environment controller, comprising: a communication interface; and a processing unit for: receiving at least one room characteristic via one of the communication interface and a user interface of the environment controller, and storing the at least one room characteristic in a memory of the environment controller; receiving a current temperature via the communication interface; receiving a target temperature via one of the communication interface and the user interface; transmitting the at least one room characteristic, the current temperature and the target temperature to an inference server executing a neural network inference engine via the communication interface; receiving one or more command for controlling an appliance inferred by the neural network inference engine executed by the inference server via the communication interface; and transmitting the one or more command to the controlled appliance via the communication interface; wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises at least one of the following: a room type identifier selected among a plurality of room type identifiers, one or more geometric characteristics of the room, and a human activity in the room.
 2. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises one or more geometric characteristics of the room, the one or more geometric characteristics of the room comprising at least one of the following: a volume of the room, a surface of the room, a height of the room, a length of the room, and a width of the room.
 3. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises a human activity in the room, the human activity in the room comprising at least one of the following: periods of time when the room is occupied by humans, and a type of activity performed by humans occupying the room.
 4. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further receives via the communication interface at least one additional environmental characteristic value; and wherein the processing unit transmits the at least one additional environmental characteristic value to the inference server executing the neural network inference engine via the communication interface.
 5. The environment controller of claim 4, wherein the at least one environmental characteristic value comprises at least one of the following: a current humidity level, a current carbon dioxide (CO2) level, and a current room occupancy.
 6. The environment controller of claim 4, wherein the at least one additional environmental characteristic value comprises a current room occupancy, the current room occupancy consisting of a determination whether the room is occupied or not, or consisting of a number of persons present in the room.
 7. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further receives via one of the communication interface and the user interface at least one additional set point; and wherein the processing unit transmits the at least one additional set point to the inference server executing the neural network inference engine via the communication interface.
 8. The environment controller of claim 7, wherein the at least one additional set point comprises at least one of the following: a target humidity level, and a target CO2 level.
 9. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the one or more command for controlling the appliance includes at least one of the following: a command for controlling a speed of a fan, a command for controlling a pressure generated by a compressor, and a command for controlling a rate of an airflow through a valve.
 10. The environment controller of claim 1, wherein the controlled appliance consists of a Variable Air Volume (VAV) appliance.
 11. A method for inferring via a neural network one or more command for controlling an appliance, the method comprising: determining by a processing unit of an environment controller at least one room characteristic; receiving by the processing unit a current temperature via a communication interface of the environment controller; receiving by the processing unit a target temperature via one of the communication interface and a user interface of the environment controller; transmitting by the processing unit the at least one room characteristic, the current temperature and the target temperature to an inference server executing a neural network inference engine via the communication interface; receiving by the processing unit the one or more command for controlling the appliance inferred by the neural network inference engine executed by the inference server via the communication interface; and transmitting by the processing unit the one or more command to the controlled appliance via the communication interface; wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises at least one of the following: a room type identifier selected among a plurality of room type identifiers, one or more geometric characteristics of the room, and a human activity in the room.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises one or more geometric characteristics of the room, the one or more geometric characteristics of the room comprising at least one of the following: a volume of the room, a surface of the room, a height of the room, a length of the room, and a width of the room.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one room characteristic comprises a human activity in the room, the human activity in the room comprising at least one of the following: periods of time when the room is occupied by humans, and a type of activity performed by humans occupying the room.
 14. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving by the processing unit via the communication interface at least one additional environmental characteristic value; and transmitting by the processing unit the at least one additional environmental characteristic value to the inference server executing the neural network inference engine via the communication interface.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one additional environmental characteristic value comprises at least one of the following: a current humidity level, a current carbon dioxide (CO2) level, and a current room occupancy.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one additional environmental characteristic value comprises a current room occupancy, the current room occupancy consisting of a determination whether the room is occupied or not, or consisting of a number of persons present in the room.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving by the processing unit via one of the communication interface and the user interface at least one additional set point; and transmitting by the processing unit the at least one additional set point to the inference server executing the neural network inference engine via the communication interface.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one additional set point comprises at least one of the following: a target humidity level, and a target CO2 level.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more command for controlling the appliance includes at least one of the following: a command for controlling a speed of a fan, a command for controlling a pressure generated by a compressor, and a command for controlling a rate of an airflow through a valve.
 20. The method of claim 11, wherein the controlled appliance consists of a Variable Air Volume (VAV) appliance. 